Dumpster Diving

We have all heard the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Well, just a few weeks ago I found something in the “trash” that has CHANGED MY LIFE!

I found a Crockpot! An actual, stainless steel and black, practically new, and still working CROCKPOT! In the TRASH! I know, right?! Someone had put it out by the trashcans in my apartment complex. I let it sit out for a couple of days after I first saw it, just to make sure someone was actually trying to get rid of it and that I wasn’t stealing someone’s stuff. When it was still there after those two days, I figured I was safe and I grabbed it and took it upstairs. It was a little dusty but there was no real damage. After a good wipe down, it looked like it had never even been used! I plugged it in to see if it still worked, thinking maybe it was in the trash because it was broken, but nope! It absolutely worked!

My trashcan treasure!

I was so excited because I have always wanted a Crockpot but could never quite justify spending the extra money on something I wasn’t sure I would even use very much. Problem solved! Lifelong dream fulfilled…and for FREE! I am so in love with this crockpot right now! I have used it 3 times so far and each time was a HUGE success. The last time I used it, I made boneless pork ribs. I had just gone to the grocery store and was running late for work. So, I got home and dumped the ribs into my crockpot with some homemade BBQ sauce that was left over from the weekend. It literally took me 2 minutes! I put it to cook on high and left for work. When I got home, 5 hours later, the meat was perfectly cooked and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I served that up with some fresh asparagus and brown rice (the 5 minute, boil-in-a-bag kind) and I had a complete and yummy dinner ready with very little effort! Perfect!

As usual, I ended up feeding a couple extra mouths that night, so it was a good thing I cooked ALL the ribs. It’s like I always say, “If you cook it, they will come!” Needless to say, I am very happy with my Crockpot and I am not ashamed to admit to anyone where I found it! I look forward to sharing some of my favorite crock pot recipes with you in the near future. Although, at this point, the recipes consist of “throw some meat of choice in the Crockpot with some kind of yummy sauce and cook until ready!”